NURSES will not strike in Southampton in December, a union has confirmed.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has released a list of strike action locations affecting hospitals across the UK.

Up to 100,000 nursing staff will be taking part in walkouts next month but Southampton will remain unaffected.

The strikes will take place on December 15 and 20. 

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Earlier this month nurses voted to strike over pay nationally with the RCN stating that action will increase in January unless negotiations are held.

A spokesperson for the Southampton region said: "Thousands of members across the South East voted for strike action, including those from University Hospital Southampton NHS Trust.

"The RCN is taking a phased approach to strike action and members in Southampton are not going to be called to strike in this first wave on 15th and 20th December.

"Further strike action will be planned in January where more eligible Trusts will join with the strike activity."

The union's Fair Pay for Nursing campaign is calling for a pay rise of 5 per cent above inflation.

RCN said that despite this year's pay award, experienced nurses are worse off by 20 per cent due to successive below-inflation awards since 2010.

According to the union, pay increases not meeting inflation has led to staff shortages affecting patient safety.

The union has called for the UK government to accept its request for negotiations to resolve the dispute over pay and patient safety.

RCN General Secretary and Chief Executive Pat Cullen said: “Ministers have declined my offer of formal pay negotiations and instead chosen strike action.

“It has left us with no choice but to announce where our members will be going on strike in December.

“Nursing is standing up for the profession and their patients. We’ve had enough of being taken for granted and being unable to provide the care patients deserve.

“Ministers still have the power and the means to stop this by opening negotiations that address our dispute.”

In the last year, 25,000 nursing staff in the UK left the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) register.

This is combined with 47,000 unfilled registered nurse posts in England’s NHS alone.

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